Whether you’re battling noise or are short on space, these guides can turn your office into a distraction-free zone.

A small, single-story addition to the row house adds a playroom without eating up too much outdoor space. A green roof also helps makes up for lost garden beds, while creating attractive, leafy views from the second and third floors. In summer, when the sliding doors are left wide open, indoor and outdoor spaces blend together.

Exterior of the backyard studio Riley McFerrin of Hinterland Design built for his client, a children's book illustrator.

Inspired by skateboards, the swing seats are made of European oak. “At first we tried bigger boards, but you can’t sit on them,” Parzyszek says.

Sebastian's office is downstairs in a long, open space that doubles as a playroom.

Here's what you need to know before undergoing a building project with a contractor but no architect.

An office nook and library can participate in the open plan or disappear behind pocket doors.

Pricing is not yet available for ENSAMBLE, but a single board of cholguán retails for about $5. By keeping assembly simply and using glue to join the system, the Andes House hopes to make it a cost-effective solution for the office and beyond.

An entire wall is covered with a dry-erase surface from Formica, where Parzyszek and his son Bartek can sketch.

The Tower House is made up of tiny houses, clustered at the southern end of the property and clad in white steel panels and western red cedar shingles. Spinning off the living room on the north side of the main house, the children’s study sits separate from the other pavilions. On its upper level, Oxley netting forms a web on which the kids and their friends can sit and read with views of the leafy street and garden.

It's a great time to let kids be a part of the decision-making, if that is age-appropriate, and help set a schedule. Give your child a chance to take the reins and engage in child-led learning.

McMinn, an architect, helps Soren construct a TinkerToy tower. The cowhide rug is from Perfect Leather Goods, and the Wassily Chair is by Marcel Breuer for Knoll.

A sensitivity to color and texture drove many design decisions. In the family room, a plywood climbing wall adds a playful touch.

For the realty group interior space, eight people comfortably work in the 12-foot-by-14-foot room. There’s a mini slit A/C and heating system, painted sheetrock walls and bamboo floors and desk.

“Having nice design is great, but how can you support the ways you want to live?” says Adair. She and Kopp did the same discovery process as their clients to help push them into purpose. “It was so helpful in figuring out how to shape the moments we wanted.”

Each shed is customizable via a recently launched interactive online tool and range from $120-150 per square foot. With more people working from home, backyard offices offer a physical barrier between life and work, this one in Walnut Creek, California, has a FullLite glass front elevation.

Insulated with denim and highly sealed, the sheds can also double as an outdoor room, like this outdoor living room in Palo Alto, California.

A recycled barndoor track and wheels affords privacy behind a siding covered panel.

Insulated with denim and highly sealed, the sheds can also double as an outdoor room, like this outdoor living room in Palo Alto, California.

A covered walkway provides a sheltered passage between the main house and studio. The fire pit is used during social gatherings.

Studio Shed founders Mike Koenig and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski had a common problem: too many things, too little space. As mountain bikers, they needed extra room for their bikes and equipment. Frustrated by the options on the market, they combined brainpower (Koenig has a degree in business, Horgan-Kobelski in engineering) to create Studio Shed. This shed is used as an art studio (twelve by 24 feet) in Boulder, CO. The resident opted for custom lighting and a stained plywood floor.

Their goal was to create an easy method to add storage or a room to a pre-existing home, in an affordable, sustainable way. Since then, their zero-waste sheds have gained popularity as offices, storage spaces, and recording studios.

Simon and Eva Luna play in front of a wall covered in Daks wallpaper from Walnut.

Masahiro and Mao Harada of Mount Fuji Architects Studio wanted to break with the traditional definition of a house when they designed this small Tokyo home. They achieved their goal by using the same material for the ceiling, the walls, and the floor, creating a space that flows beautifully. Photo by Ryota Atarashi.

Deep, earthy greens like olive and wasabi were popular during the 1960s. Relentless Olive (SW 6425) from Sherwin Williams and Green Root (8334) from Jotun capture these shades well.

Houldin, 10, curls up in the playroom nook which is directly under a side skylight that Pulltab added in order to make the interior rooms inhabitable, as per New York City building code. The custom millwork around the window seat is painted in Rainy Day by Fine Paints of Europe.

Getting the hammock installed posed a bit of a challenge. Adair and Kopp found it tough to find a company to help with executing their idea. “It’s interesting to know that if you want to do something with a little bit of risk, it really takes some convincing,” says Adair. With the help of a U.S.-based company that dealt with large-scale net facilities, they got a group together and lashed the whole perimeter to create a safe, sturdy, supportive weaving.

A Dine family portrait in front of the loft clubhouse Nick and Vanessa built for their daughters. As the girls get older, the playroom will transform into a family office.

This children’s room and playroom caters to one family’s young kids with built-in cabinetry that allows the mess to be hidden away. Hufft designed this marker-board table, which was cut in the shape of Missouri. The ceiling features abstract details from Thomas Hart Benton paintings.

The second-floor office is housed inside a rounded rectangle of concrete that the architect inserted on top of the old farmhouse.

A familiar scene in the Benoit home: Peter paints at the Steelcase desk—"I do all my work here," he says—while Ando sits nearby, waiting for attention.

Have your children help you go through their book collections and pick out what books they haven't read yet. If you are able to safely leave your home, you can coordinate curbside dropoff book exchanges with friends.

A cherry red game room gives way to a second green space on the roof, which can be used as an extension of the indoor space.

A view of the sauna building before the patio and seating were constructed on the other side. The log cabins were constructed by a specialist company, and another builder helped with the interior walls. Jussi-Pekka and his father did all the other building and landscaping work, apart from the electrical and plumbing—often working 12-hour days.